Peripheral T cell tolerance is an important immunological outcome that inhibits deleterious immune responses to both self and non-self antigens (Ags). Impaired immune tolerance can manifest as either allergic or autoimmune disease. In a murine model of tolerance induced by inhaled Ag, we previously identified regulatory T cells (Tregs) expressing Foxp3 and membrane-bound TGF-? (mTGF-?) that functionally suppressed allergic airway inflammation induced by the Ag. We also demonstrated cross-talk between mTGF-? and Notch1 as one mechanism of induced tolerance. With the current concepts of adaptive/induced Tregs (iTregs) and infectious tolerance elicited in response to foreign Ags, we have initiated studies to examine generation of iTregs with a bigger goal of understanding how the function of a Treg can be enhanced and stabilized. Using Foxp3 reporter mice in conjunction with CD11c-DTR mice that express the diphtheria toxin receptor on CD11c cells, we have established a system to determine which dendritic cell (DC) subsets contribute to iTreg induction. In other studies of involvement of Tregs in controlling allergic disease, we have found a role for vitamin D3 in promoting mTGF-? cells in the context of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). Given the current interest in vit D3 in regulating allergic diseases with little understanding of how vit D receptor (VDR)-mediated effects cause immunosuppression, we propose to use genetically altered mice to investigate the role of vit D in Foxp3- versus CD11c-expressing cells in iTreg generation. Finally, as proposed in the previous cycle of this grant, we have successfully generated a CD4 T cell-specific inducible transgenic mouse expressing Hes1, a downstream target of Notch1. This mouse was generated to understand the role of Hes1 in Treg-mediated immunosuppression, particularly in the context of inflammation, which compromises Treg function. Our overall hypothesis for this proposal is: Treg induction by inhaled Ag involves a subset of DCs and the process can be enhanced and stabilized by VDR- and Notch1/Hes1 pathways. To address this hypothesis we will:
Aim I. Identify the specific DC subsets in the lung that induce iTregs in response to Ag.
Aim II. Investigate the involvement of vitamin D and VDR in Foxp3+ Tregs versus CD11c+ cells in promoting inhaled tolerance.
Aim III. Study the ability of Hes1, a downstream target of Notch1, expressed in an inducible fashion in CD4+ T cells, to stabilize and preserve Treg function in the lungs of mice subjected to airway inflammation.
The goal of this application is to understand how regulatory T cells are induced in the lung in response to allergens and how their suppressive function can be enhanced and stabilized.
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